Thursday, January 30, 2014

6 Bad Reasons to "Go to Church"

David
Fitch presents good and bad reasons for participating in the life of a local
church community.

The
phrase “go to church” is a “no-no” in missional circles. Some twentysomething
chastises me every time I let that phrase slip from my mouth at our church.

Church
is not a place we go. It is a way of life we live as being God’s people in the
world participating in His Mission.

Acknowledging
that, why get up and go on Sunday to the gathering of His people? I must admit
to often awakening Sunday morning and experiencing the inertia of getting going
to the Sunday morning gathering. And I am a pastor! Why go to such a gathering?

To
combat this inertia, I think we can get into some bad habits for “going to
church.” If we got rid of these habits, we might actually be able to see the
gathering as a more natural part of the rhythms of our life with God in His
Mission.

Here
are six bad reasons to “go to church.”

Don’t
go to church …

1. Out of Duty/Obligation

Spiritual
disciplines are good if they are openings for God to work and shape our lives
into His life and Mission. Too often, however, disciplines become duties,
devoid of the life to which they were meant to connect us. Don’t go to church
out of duty or obligation. It should be a regular spiritual discipline that
shapes us into His life and Mission.

2. If This is What It Means to be a
Christian

If
you think being a Christian is what happens in this hour-and-a-half, stop going
to church and ask what it means to follow Christ when you don’t go. This is
where we gather to encounter the living God corporately, respond to Him, be
shaped by His vision and His work, and then be sent out to continue this life
into the world.

3. To Get Your Needs Met

If
you think some problem in your life will be solved or some need met by “going
to church,” don’t go! Because more than likely you’ll be disappointed.
Sometimes needs, physical and otherwise, get met at the cross (or around the
prayer bench) in instantaneous fashion, but most often there’s some suffering
that needs to walked through in the death and resurrection of Christ. Most of
our needs are ministered to over time as we submit them regularly to Christ and
what He is doing.

4. To Feel Good, Get Inspired

I
recognize a lot of times I come away feeling inspired and good after the
gathering.

But
I try to check myself on this. For if I get addicted to a certain “feeling
good” worship experience or some inspiration from the sermon, my relationship
with God starts to look like an addiction to a feeling that has become
narcissistic. It stunts the growth of my character into God and what He is
doing. Maybe I’m too uptight on this?

5. To Perform

Occasionally
I will notice I’m going off to the gathering to perform. I’m going to go
preach, or teach, or guide the children’s ministry.

I
feel like other people can get into this rut too. I’m going to sing, play
guitar, be cool, whatever (BTW, I haven’t played the guitar in 20 years). We’re
getting a buzz from performing. Something subtle occurs and it’s about my
self-accolades. I feel better about myself after doing something for God.

I
suggest, if this is happening, don’t go to the gathering. Shrink back. All our
service in the gifts and to the world should be out of our life with God. It
should be an offering unto Him out of the gifts He keeps giving.

Of
course, we need affirmation in order to recognize what God is doing and calling
us to. But that’s a different dynamic. After I preach a sermon, I discipline
myself to leave that sermon in God’s hands. I offered it to Him. If and when I
receive feedback, it is for the furtherance of His work in my life and the
community.

6. To Get Something from the Expert

If
we go to church to get something on the Christian life from the expert in a
sermon or something, I think we miss the point. The so-called expert is most
likely gifted to proclaim. He/she has been recognized for God’s work in this
regard in his/her life.

But
the real formation happens in the response and the working out of that
proclamation among a people. The expert, on his own, often disappoints or worse
starts acting like he/she is the only one who knows Scripture which breeds
distrust of any authority in the community. The thought process of getting
something from an expert defeats God’s work in community and should be
discouraged. Don’t “go to church” if this is the way you think it works.

Over
against these reasons not to “go to church,” I still believe the church
gathering is just a part—albeit an important part—of the rhythm of Mission.

For
it is at the gathering, we come as broken people in order to submit ourselves
to what He is doing to be shaped for Mission. Here we are led into His
presence, the reading of Scripture, the liturgies of submission, affirmation of
truth and confession, the proclamation of the Gospel and the feasting on His
forgiveness and new life at the meal, in praise and thanksgiving and finally
into the sending out into Mission.